It’s been over three weeks since May 25th, the day George Floyd, a black man compliant upon arrest, was brutally murdered at the hands of white law enforcement. By now you know that for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, former officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck with frightening indifference as Floyd persistently pleaded for a breath. By now, most of you reading this have either publicly or privately exhibited your support for the black community. At this point, you may be asking yourself: But what now? Is my work over now that Floyd’s murderers have been charged and we are seeing a some degree of progress from policymakers? The answer, inarguably, is no.
Black Lives Matter didn’t end with Derek Chauvin’s arrest. Black Lives Matter didn’t end when #BLM stopped trending on Twitter. Black Lives Matter isn’t just about the arrest and inhumane murder of George Floyd, it’s about a perpetual pattern of injustice black men and women have endured in this country from the day the first slave was captured and transported from West Africa to Northeastern coast of the US. Black Lives Matter is about recognizing and dismantling an exceptionally complex system of oppression against black people that our nation’s institutions continue to uphold. The system that has, in this year alone, resulted in the murder of not only George Floyd, but Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmad Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, and countless other black individuals.
Ending this cycle of injustice becomes reality when you fully realize what it means to be an ally. It becomes a reality when you realize that when you say "Black Lives Matter", you are signing up to do whatever you are capable of to defend that statement. It becomes a reality when you, as a self-proclaimed ally, incorporate changes in your daily life to support your black community members, black businesses, black artists, black educators, and black-led movements.
As a teenager progressively educating myself on how I can be a better ally, and as a student ambassador of The Leaders Readers Network, an organization whose mission is to advocate diversity and inclusivity in education, I wanted to compile a list of resources for both white and non-black students of color to learn more about how they can join me in being an ally every day. Refer to the information below for a by no means all-inclusive list of resources but for a great place to start.
What does it mean to be an ally?
The website “The Guide to Allyship” states that an ally is someone who stands up and takes on the problems borne of oppression as their own, without remove or distance. An ally does not understand how it feels to be oppressed, but understands they must be willing to share the burden of oppression with the community they’re supporting.
Click HERE to learn more.
General Do’s and Dont’s of an Ally:
Do...
...Stand up to intolerance anywhere you hear it, be it in the classroom, the hallway, on social media, or anywhere else.
...Be proactive about inclusion in your daily life.
...Confront the racism inside you guiltlessly and with genuine agency.
...Understand that you will never understand the struggles the black community has faced and continues to face
...Encourage dialogue about embracing differences with your family, friends, and acquaintances
...Use your privilege as well as your your monetary and physical resources to support and uplift the black community
...Bring black people into your life. Diversify your social spheres.
...Read books, watch movies, listen to podcasts, and listen to music about black history, black culture, and black people.
Don’t…
...Tell racist jokes, and don’t laugh at racist jokes. No racist joke should be treated as benign no matter how seemingly casually it is conveyed. Express your intolerance with such behaviour calmly but seriously.
...Take offense or become defensive. Do research and educate yourself. It’s okay to not know, but it's not okay to refuse to learn.
...Ask your black friends/community members/acquaintances to educate you as this topic can be emotionally challenging to discuss; This is something you need to do yourself.
...Say, “I’ve been there before” because you haven’t. Being an ally means listening and uplifting black voices and black stories, not your own.
About Racism: Inspired by the words of Dr. Robin DiAngelo, author of White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
Discourage internal dialogue like…
“I am a good person, I am not and could never be a racist.”
“I am not at fault here, so therefore I don’t need to get involved.”
“I’m not the problem”
Know that all people are born into the system of racism. Whether or not you hold personal prejudice against the black community, you are a cog in the system of racism and have the obligation, especially as an ally, to actively work to dismantle it.
It is statistically proven that the system of racism, which our nation continues to uphold, in its essence, was built to benefit white people and continues to do so. Large scale societal segregation continues to exist, particularly in our housing and schooling sectors. To learn about the history behind societal segregation, particularly the practice of redlining in the US, watch THIS video.
Although it was not you who created this system, you have the obligation to understand it, education yourself about it, build meaningful relationships with black people, and actively work every day to dismantle it.
Terminology to Know:
Systematic: Essentially, the term "systematic" is referring to the way a process is carried out, so systematic racism is referring to a system that procedurally encourages and/or produces racist policies, behaviors, and systems.
Systemic: Systemic racism, is referring to what lies or what happens inside a system, so the phrase systemic racism is referring to racism that affects all parts of a certain system. For instance, in describing the systemic nature of the Coronavirus, one would describe how the pandemic has influenced all parts of life and all people.
6 Important Resources about the history of racism in the US:
Learn Through Art
Take Action
Click HERE to find a list of ways you can demand justice.
Attend a protest. (This is not recommended for those under 18, especially without a parent, as they can be dangerous. Please be safe if you decide to attend!).
Here’s how you can find a BLM protest near you.
Search Facebook groups and events
Search by Twitter Hashtag
Contact the local BLM group in your area
Check on the Nextdoor app
How you can integrate black community members in your life every day
Click HERE to find ways you can support black people in your community.
Stay in the know: List of Accounts to follow on Instagram
@blklivesmatter
@yourrightscamp
@goodgoodgoodco
@aclu_nationwide
@shaunking
@ethelsclub
@ohhappydani
@ava
@ijeomaoluo
@grassrootslaw
@ckyourprivilege
@speakoutspeakers
@nowhitesaviors
@shiftingtheculture
@theconsciouskid
@dr.yusefsalaam
@byp100
@amandlastenberg
@blackvisionscollective
@rachel.cargle
I hope these resources were helpful. Like I previously said, this is not an all encompassing list and there are a plethora of other resources online and at your library that I encourage you to investigate.
